Secretary of State

DENNIS RICHARDSON
The State of Oregon

SALEM, OR — Today, Secretary of State Dennis Richardson publicly thanked the fifth public servant he is recognizing during Public Service Recognition Week. The Secretary is actively looking for state employees who have creative ideas to make state government work better and smarter for Oregonians.The combined innovations of these five Oregon State employees have saved Oregon tax payers millions of dollars.

Today, the Secretary of State Archives Division launched State Archivists Mary Beth Herkert’s cost-savings idea, the Oregon Access Project. Herkert developed a way to expand public records trainings for members of the public, media, state agencies, and local governments while also adding a new service, facilitated dispute resolution, for public records requests.This morning, Richardson sent a letter to Governor Brown praising Herkert’s idea.

“All Oregonians should thank Mary Beth Herkert for her creative cost-saving ideas and dedication to excellence,” said Richardson. “These inspired ideas will maximize current staff expertise and avoid unnecessary duplication saving the state $3.5 million over the next decade, while increasing access to public records. By working together to increase efficiency, Oregon can redirect savings to educating kids, training workers, and protecting other critical services.”

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